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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com